Chapter 21
Obedience in the Storm
The Reading: Mark 6:45-54, Matthew 14:22-33, and John 6:15-21
The Problem:
This is a story for which we have to read all the accounts, to get every detail. The language in Mark 6 and Matthew 14 makes it clear that Jesus insisted the disciples get in the boat and row over to Bethesda, while He waited behind to pray on a mountain. We’re told that they made it about halfway across the lake, but there was a strong headwind, and they couldn’t get close to the shore. The lake was about 7 miles across and, at the time of this account, they had actually only managed to cover a little over 3 miles. And, although some of the disciples were experienced sailors, because the night was so cloudy and dark, they couldn’t even see the stars to determine their direction or location.
The Turning Point:
In the meantime, Jesus was watching them and praying for them. But Jesus did something more than just watch them and pray for them (as should we). At the fourth watch of the night (around 3:00 or 4:00 a.m.) He came to their aid. And He walked across the lake, in the middle of a terrible storm, right on the surface of the water to do it. In Matthew’s account of this miracle, when Jesus appeared to the men on the boat, Peter walked a few steps toward Him on the water, and then he started sinking and Jesus had to rescue him. Mark and Luke don’t mention this detail.
The Miracle That Followed:
At first the disciples didn't recognize Jesus, but when they realized it was Jesus walking on the water, they cried out to Him for help. And the Bible says when Jesus climbed into the boat with them the storm died down. They were amazed. In Matthew’s account they began to worship Him saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.” In John 6:15, we see that when Jesus got into the boat, not only did the storm die down, but the boat also miraculously landed on the other side.
The Bottom Line:
Jesus didn’t judge the men by the distance they had covered, how long it took them to get that far, or the fact that they were toiling. All that mattered to Jesus was that they, to the best of their ability, were carrying out His command. God is not looking for our success. He is not judging us by our speed. He is simply concerned with the fact that we are trying to obey His will.
When Jesus gives us an assignment and we do our best to obey, we may be making little or no headway, and yet it may be no fault of our own because there is a headwind blowing against us. You may be struggling against something and it seems like you are pushed two steps back for every one step forward. But God will observe our willingness to obey and count our progress, not by how far we seem to have progressed, but by the determined purpose with which we have been tugging at the oars.
Another very important part of this lesson is the fact that Jesus said, “Pass over to the other side.” If you are obeying personal instructions the Lord gave you, and He told you to “go over,” you don’t have to be afraid that you might “go under.” If you truly heard from Him, know that He has everything under control and lined up for your success.
Finally, it is interesting to note that these men were afraid for their lives, and had the impression they had been forsaken and forgotten. For some reason, they felt like Jesus didn’t know about the storm, where they were, or that they were about to drown. But all the time they were doing their best to get to the other side, in obedience to His command, Jesus had been watching them from the mountain. God always has His eyes on us. Never forget Jesus’ last words to the disciples in Matthew 28:20, “Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.” And in Hebrews 13:5, the apostle Paul reminds us that God has promised, “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Deuteronomy 31:6).
